It is estimate that 350,000 persons currently living with HIV in Ghana.
Out of the number ,7% are children ,66% are females.
72% out of the estimated 350,000 identified ,87% of those found put on treatment of which 58% have had their viral load suppressed.
Also, out of every 100 pregnant women 2 have HIV.
There were 49,561 new HIV Diagnosis from January to December 2022 out of 1.9million people tested.
Prevalence of HIV among gays is 18% while that of female sex workers is 4.6% multiple times above national prevalence rate.
Sadly, many more Ghanains infected with the virus do not know their status.
Piloting of HIV self -testing intervention has therefore been completed in selected districts and municipalities across Ghana ahead of nationwide scale-up of the program.
HIV self-testing allows people to take an HIV test and find out their result in their own home or other private location.
The self -testing kits will be available at health facilities, pharmacy shops, and other designated outlets.
Speaking to the media at the sidelines of Result sharing and HIVST stakeholders engagement meeting in Kumasi organized by Ghana HIV and AIDS Network(GHANET), the Programme Manager of the National STIs and HIV/AIDS Control Programme (NACP), Dr .Stephen Ayisi Addo, said there are about over 100,000 people who may be infected with HIV but do not know their status therefore the self- testing intervention will encourage many Ghanains to test to know their status for early detection and treatment.
He said training has been done for stakeholders including service providers ,health workers while sensitization also conducted through community based organizations.
Isaac Acheampong Fianko of Beyond Hope Foundation that piloted the self testing program in New Juaben South in Eastern region stated that “New Juaben has high prevalence of HIV but majority do not know their status so this is giving them the opportunity to know their status if the test kits come and we distribute so it will help us to know exactly the number of people who have the HIV .Some are walking about not knowing their status.You may have the virus but no sign unless you do the test.Many at times people are afraid to go to the health facilities”.
Maxwell Osei Owusu,Chief of staff at Acts Ghana a non for profit organization operating in Abuakwa North Municipality also said out of the 1000 self testing kits deployed 13 reacted positive but 7 were confirmed to have the virus while the 6 don’t believe it therefore unwilling to go for confirmatory test.
“Initially we got 1000 kits and after distribution we identified 13 cases out if the 13 we have been able to confirm 7 and put on treatment we have about 6 of them who still are in denial they don’t want to accept the fact that they have the virus because it is a long term medication thing you are going to take medication for the rest of your life”.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
